SERBIANS marked the 10th anniversary of the start of a NATO blitz on the former federal republic of Yugoslavia on Tuesday with commemorations honouring over 3,000 victims.

Air-raid sirens sounded at noon throughout the country, while schools opened classes with a minute's silence for the 89 children who were killed in the 78-day bombing campaign, which was initiated without UN security council backing.

NATO claimed that it had launched Operation Allied Force in order to force then president Slobodan Milosevic to stop a military crackdown against Western-backed separatist insurgents in Kosovo province and pull out his troops.

But the US Clinton administration blocked a negotiated settlement at the Rambouillet conference.

Some 15,000 NATO-led soldiers remain in Kosovo, which 56 countries now recognise as an independent state after its ethnic Albanian-dominated parliament declared unilateral independence from Serbia 13 months ago.

Deputy Serbian PM Ivica Dacic described Kosovo's unilateral declaration as a resumption of the NATO aggression.

Ms Dacic said: "I wish to reiterate that the bombing was a result of false accusations of genocide and ethnic cleansing - the bombing of Serbia was just the culmination of pressure on the former Yugoslavia that began at the start of the 1990s."

Visiting Communist Party of Greece (KKE) general secretary Aleka Papariga said: "We are in Belgrade to remember and show our respect to the Serb people for the barbaric attacks by 19 NATO countries and to renew the two peoples' friendly relations."

Ms Papariga and a KKE delegation visited the home town of late president Slobodan Milosevic in Pozarevac and laid a wreath at his tomb.

The KKE leader said: "We came to remember the abduction, in essence, of Slobodan Milosevic, which fully exposed the so-called European democracy.

"Precisely on this continent, which supposedly has a great culture and humanism, a person was abducted before being tried with lies.

"He died shortly before the outcome, reminding us that the struggle of a people never has an end," Ms Papariga declared.

She called on the people of Serbia and Europe to "lead matters to the ultimate condemnation of imperialism" observing that "there is also a popular trial that inspires the peoples."

Later in the day, the KKE delegation participated in an international peace conference in Belgrade which was attended by representatives of anti-imperialist groups from 45 countries.

“Clinton told the American people that 250,000 people were the victims of genocide and that we must act. “

Interesting Clinton arrived at that figure, because that was the estimated number of dead, wounded, missing and “ethnically cleansed” during and after the US/NATO bombing campaign. But no worries... nothing about that will be held against Clinton, unlike what the “world” has tried to hang on Bush as a result of Afghanistan and Iraq.

It’s a sad day when Greek Communists are on the right side but President Bush chose to join Clinton on the wrong side.

Did the Serbs commit any atrocities? Sure, probably some of them did. But not nearly as many as the Muslims. And they were fighting to defend themselves and the survival of their country against terrorist infiltrators.

Demonstrators hold placards depicting former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic during the 10th anniversary of the NATO bombing missions in Yugoslavia, in Belgrade March 24, 2009. The placard reads, "A hero of Serbian Nation and Freedom".

A man kisses a poster depicting former Yugoslav strongman Slobodan Milosevic, on a poster as a religious icon, during a rally Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

Protesters hold a photo showing top war crimes fugitive Bosnian Serb Gen. Ratko Mladic, during a rally to mark the 10th anniversary of the NATO bombing campaign in Belgrade, Serbia, Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

Do you know if there are any books that give a clear, non-biased view of the Kosovo War/Incident/Campaign? The handful that I have found on the subject make Clinton look like a saint for going in an rescuing the helpless Kosovars from the brutal and tyrannical Serbs.

I recall the Russians were pretty upset about that war:
I traveled in Russian shortly (2 weeks) after Clinton’s War started, and everywhere I wented people asked me “Why did he do it? What does he have against Russians?”
Which of course they consider Serbians to be.

This was probably the beginning of Russians’ disillusionment with the U.S.

1. Now US has a huge military base in Kosovo, Bondstill with
7.000 people deployed there. There is a joke that two things can be seen from moon with unarmed eye, Great Chinese Wall and base Bondstill.
2. Depleted uranium was used in this operation and other
forbidden ammunition. Just testing, you know .. on alive people. Corporations need it. sort of QA.
3. Just to show the rest of the world who has real power in this world and first of all to Russians. A way to say to everybody if you do not submit and shut up you will be next.
4. Destabilize EU and help euro crash. Euro/dollar exchange rate was not very good for dollar before operation but became after.
5. Get full control of Balkans finally and get rid of last regime which was not pro-Western in Europe.
6. Establishing a gangster state (Kosovo) in the middle of Europe which can be used for various purposes.
7. Like nr.2, testing airplanes, missiles and other systems.

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